Various electrical connector assemblies have been provided with one connector mounted on and terminated to a printed circuit board and a second, mating connector terminated to a plurality of discrete electrical conductors. For instance, a female or receptacle connector may be mounted on the circuit board, and a male or plug connector may be terminated to the electrical conductors.
Some systems, including electrical connector assemblies as described above, are shielded systems to provide EMI and RFI protection for the entire connecting interface. For instance, the one connector mounted to the circuit board includes an enclosing metal shell or shield which is connected to a ground trace on the circuit board. The electrical conductors are cores of shielded electrical cables which include shielding braids, and the second or mating connector includes a second metal shell mounted in engagement with the shielding braids of the cables. Therefore, when the connectors are mated, the two metal shells of the two connectors are interengaged to ground the shielding braids of the electrical cables to the ground trace on the circuit board, while the two metal shells provide EMI and RFI protection for the entire mating interface of the connectors.
A problem with such connector assemblies as described above is that the two metal shells of the two mating connectors increase the number of parts of the assembly, resulting in increased manufacturing and assembly costs. Another problem is that the metal shell of the connector which is terminated to the electrical cables has a tendency to damage the cables, particularly the shielding braids of the cables, during assembly, shipping, handling and repeated usage. The present invention is directed to solving these problems.